Sports Issues

Sports Issue #1: Sports Czar

In 1972, a Kentucky senator named Marlow W. Cook introduced a bill that would've created a Federal Sports Commission, protecting "the right of the sports fan to a stable professional sports system." A regulatory agency wouldn't need to be large or expensive; it could be a small bureau inside the Department of Commerce. Grow suggests limiting the commissioners' oversight to a few areas, like franchise relocation, so that teams would have to prove financial hardship before extorting cities for giveaways. Cook also wanted to regulate labor and broadcast rights. In his bill, he wrote that a federal commission would "provide the sports fan with a voice in the operation of the system - a voice that has hereto been ignored." If taken to a larger level, this Sports Czar could be included in the Presidential Cabinet as the Secretary of Sports. This individual would oversee all competitive sports at all levels. (Info and poll from ESPN The Magazine.)

NOTE: Depending on the device you are using (desktop, laptop, tablet, or phone), the "selection bubbles" for the poll options may not be visible. If this is the case, simply click anywhere on the answer you'd like, and then hit "Vote".